Sensing of electric fields is important in many scientific fields. Some of the problems associated with remote sensing of electric fields are related to the physical size of the active sensor, sensitivity of the electric field sensor, and sensor system noise floors.
Another problem involves efficiently coupling received electromagnetic waves as RF signals to remote locations. Frequently, in vehicle and transportation applications, a RF antenna for a radio or RADAR system must be physically located away from the central set of electronics in an airplane, boat, or other vehicle. A coaxial cable is typically run from the antenna to the central processing location (e.g. a radio apparatus). The coaxial cable is heavy, and susceptible to electrostatic interference, and at relatively high frequencies, coaxial cables can cause substantial signal loss.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved electric field sensor having a smaller sensing area, higher sensitivity, and lower noise floor. Also, what is needed is a low noise system to communicatively couple to a remotely located antenna that is more immune to electromagnetic interference.